This past Sunday, the girls’ Volleyball team had their end-of-the-season banquet. To give you a little recap, the girls played 12 games in their regular season and had a record of 9-3 in the conference and overall went 22-10. The three in-conference losses came twice from Cuba City and once from Darlington. Head Coach Kari Kabat commented, “We had a very competitive season overall. Going back to a full schedule with all teams back in the conference and postseason play, we knew the competition would be quite a bit harder. The team worked through some adversity at times this season and came out stronger. They met all but one of the team goals that they laid out early in the year. The one we fell short of was winning Regionals. However, I am proud of how we performed this year and our finish in conference.” This year’s team consisted of juniors: Kennedy Wenger, Kennedy Kabat, McKenzie Ripp, McKenzie Aurit, Livie Poad, Olivia Wendhausen, Mya James, Katelyn Cox, Regan Suddeth. Seniors: Mallory Lindsey, Ella Chambers, Blair Watters, Delaney Ross, Jayda Sudmeier, and Emma Steffes. Saying we will miss these seniors next year is an understatement. Coach Kabat added, “This group of seniors is going to be difficult to replace. Their leadership is unmatched. They are vocal and have great chemistry together. They are supportive of the team and put the team goals first. All of these girls have been so dedicated to the program and have put it back on track to being as important as other sports in the district. We just need to keep building a successful program, starting with our youth to continue their success.” Captains were Mallory Lindsey and Ella Chambers. We want to give a huge congratulations to the team and good luck the rest of the year.

Tom Ingwell and the JV girls also had a spectacular season going 14-2, losing to Cuba City both times. Throughout the season, the girls improved in many different aspects of the game. A few of them were team defense, covering hitters, being scrappy, hitting placements, understanding opponents’ defense for offensive strategies, and knowing the right time to be intelligent and aggressive. Coach Ingwell commented, “All players improved in many different ways, and I am excited to see what next year brings for everyone!”

Finally, the JVR team, coached by Sally Aurit, overall went 21-14, including games from the regular season, a Belmont tournament, and an Iowa Grant (IG) tournament. Quickly recapping the matches, the freshman girls went 8-0 winning the IG tournament and went 3-5 at the Belmont tournament. Both seemed like they were very long and hard-fought. Coach Aurit commented, “We made great improvements halfway through the season… It was nice to see them pull out a couple of close ones against some good teams.” She also mentioned that people noted how all of the players made improvements throughout the whole season. Lastly, she stated, “This group was a very coachable group, and it will be exciting to see them compete over the next couple of years.” 

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Although this season is over, many people look forward to seeing future seasons and watching these young athletes grow. First, we want to congratulate all three teams on their season and all coaches who helped along the way. A second thank you goes out to all of you guys for supporting Mineral Point Volleyball. Lastly, we would like to thank our seniors for the last four years for sticking it out. See you next season!

By: Ella Kroll and Raegan Galle